What do we need to win, like the Mavericks?

[mgent]

Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry, JJ Barrea, Brendan Haywood

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

It was Dallas' defense, plain and simple! Ask LeBron and Wade. Every commentator said how well Dallas kept them out of the paint. Jason Kidd's, Marion, Tyson, and even Dirk play tremendous D. I can remember who said it but they said that Iguadala, PP, and Deng tried to take it personally and tried to stop LeBron on their own but Dallas played better team defense on him... I totally agree!!!

[Q_FBE]

We need to be a team more like the 2007-2008 Celtics.

TP.  The Mavs are a very good team and I'm happy for Dirk, he's got a competitive team year in and year out and he probably deserved to win one.  But the last thing the C's need is to become a team like the Mavs.  There hasn't been a surer bet to be a one-hit wonder in a long time.

A lot depends on the new CBA agreement which I think will redefine how an NBA team is to be mananged. With all the talent this league has right now, there could be a series of 1 hit wonders like back in the 70s between Russell vs Chamberlain, Bird vs Magic, Micheal Jordan (LeQuit cannot hold a candle to this guy), ShaqKobe....

I suspect our new formula for success will center around Rondo but it is going to be very difficult to do it with the personnel we have now. It may not even be possible to think in terms in a Celtics championship in 2012, I just don't know what the new CBA will bring.

[get_banners]

Btw, while a lot of people are talking about the Mavs "team" versus Miami's top-heavy star trio...let's not forget Dallas had the 2nd highest payroll in the NBA, behind the Lakers. It's not Dirk and a bunch of paupers. Granted, they may not have another superstar minus Dirk, but they have a lot of very good players. So...to be like Dallas, we have to stay healthy, and add more to the payroll.

[BCelts]

What do we need to become a team similar to win, like the Mavericks?

Up front and foremost: a true center.
We have better point guards if we manage to re-sign Delonte...

We need a center, now that Perkins is gone.  Otherwise, we need a healthy team, West back, and an improved Jeff Green.  I don;t think our team was that far away and, if not for injuries, I suspect that we would have won our 6th and deciding game against the Mavs last night. 

My opinion is that we should add a rebounding, shot-blocking center, resign our guys, see if there is a big baby move that makes sense to make us better next year, and run it back.  We are not that far away and, regardless, our trade assets are limited.

[BCelts]

I think this finals proved that offense is starting to become more important than defense in this league. The league has been turning into an offensive oriented league and with rule changes continuing to benefit offensive players and limit defensive players I would be stocking my team with scorers

Dallas played good defense.  They kept the Heat out of the middle and limited the number of times players went to the line. 

their zone defense was a HUGE help to them. it might be a blueprint to beat miami. make the heat a perimeter team = beat the heat. fact is, lebron and wade aren't nearly as good shooters as they were vs. us and chicago - they hit contested jumpers they had no business hitting.

Agreed.  Hollinger said it best, eventually the law of averages catches up to you.

[MBz]

Scoring.   They had guys on the bench who could score the basketball.  Terry is better than anyone on our bench.  Barea was better than anyone on our bench.  Marion was a bench player before Butler got hurt, he would have been better than anyone on the C's bench.  Also to the OP, I'm not sure the C's rotation of PGs is better than Dallas'.  Clearly Rondo is better than anyone there, but I would take Barea over West.  Also, Kidd is still a top 10 PG in the league and his defense was amazing against Miami.  He matched up against Wade, LeBron and it didn't matter.  After this years playoffs, I'd take Kidd and Barea over Rondo and West.

[cman88]

if Green can play up to his potential and bring scoring off the bench and our team can stay healthy we can knock off this heat team

[wdleehi]

if Green can play up to his potential and bring scoring off the bench and our team can stay healthy we can knock off this heat team

Green is not that guy (big time bench scorer)


He can do a bit of everything, but the Celtics should not expect him to be their version of Terry.

[17wasEZ]

if Green can play up to his potential and bring scoring off the bench and our team can stay healthy we can knock off this heat team

Unless the Celtics can pick up a couple of really good players this offseason, then the fountain of youth is about the only thing that is going to help them beat the Heat next season.

I'm not talking All-Star caliber.  Just good rotation players.

[wiley]

we're very different from the Mavericks and there's no need to be like them......

Meanwhile, give Dallas their danged due!  Swept Lakers, crunched the team that beat the team that crunched San Antonio.  Then beat the Heat, who smashed the darling and highly touted Bulls by suffocating them to death with "the fastest defense in the NBA"......

The Mavs are a much deeper team than the Heat, and more balanced....that's it. 

Give the Heat star machine credit for being Dallas' toughest opponent this offseason (then go back to hating them...)

Dallas could be a theat to repeat.  They did what they did without their backup center, their starting SF and Beaubois.  They'll remain a very deep team.....and may play even better with the monkey off their backs....

[BCelts]

if Green can play up to his potential and bring scoring off the bench and our team can stay healthy we can knock off this heat team

Green is not that guy (big time bench scorer)


He can do a bit of everything, but the Celtics should not expect him to be their version of Terry.

I want to see more of him before I say that.  They tried to turn Green into a 4 in Sea/Okc.  He is carrying too much weight that makes his feet slow and makes him look hesitant.  I want to see him as a three, with the jumpshot he has, less 10 lbs.  I want to see if he gets back a first step and still may be a legit scorer.  I also hope, wiEdited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.lly,** that losing ten pounds will help his hands...

** - that word is supposed to be W - I - S - T - F - U - L - L - Y.  It is asterisked out, for some reason.